Dwayne Wade Junks Ramon Sessions: A Larger Problem

Last night, late in the 105-92 loss to the defending champion Miami Heat, the defending worst win % ever Charlotte Bobcats had a chance. A puncher's chance, but a chance to beat Miami, late in the game; that's really saying something. The pivotal moment, in my estimation came with about 8:15 left in the fourth quarter. Just watch the video:

I'm probably reading far too deep into this, but there are so many layers to this; it's symptomatic of so much going on with the Bobcats, the Heat, the league in general but seriously, it's a moment in time when a dude who is 3 weeks short of his 31st birthday kicked another dude in the nuts. I'll say it for googlers and those who refuse to click videos: Dwyane Wade kicked Ramon Sessions in the nuts. Two time champ, Finals MVP, 8 time All-Star, Dwyane Wade kicked 5th year pro-basketball player Ramon Sessions in the nuts. A grown man, professional, a dude who wrote a book on fatherhood, kicked another man in the nuts on tv.

I can't get over the fact it actually happened, let alone extrapolate my points about what it means or how it's an analogy to the Bobcats season or the NBA officiating issues. The best part of the whole thing is that after the scuffle, Dwyane Wade was the one shooting free throws. That's the equivalent to some Seinfeld episode where George gets hit going for a parking space, and the other guy gets the spot and wrecks George's car. It's just something that doesn't make sense on a sit-com let alone in an NBA game.

The game had been a blowout. The Bobcats were closing and Sessions was set up to foul Wade, for whatever reason. Wade obviously didn't like the way Sessions went about it, obviously lifted his leg right between Sessions' legs and extended. It was so obvious, seemingly out of character, and honestly, came at a pivotal part of the game that the Bobcats sort of lost it. 4 point difference at that juncture, 13 points by the end of the game.

It's sort of like the Bobcats felt if that one thing went so obviously in the other way, there's no shot of winning the game. I don't even think we saw a makeup call. I'm almost certain that Wade won't be suspended, or even fined. Not to be a whiner fan of a lowly team but: That's just not fair.

The Miami Heat are the class of the league, they make the most money for teams and they bring the most attention. I get that, it's absolutely understandable. What I don't get is how it can be so obvious that Lebron James doesn't get called for a single foul for over 6 games and Dwyane Wade can kick a dude in the nuts and shoot free throws. There's preferential treatment, star calls, and then there's that.

Should it be a fineable offense to kick a dude in the nuts? If you get suspended for leaving the bench during an altercation, can that not be considered as damning? I know, I sound bitter, and this goes way back in the Bobcats annals of history, but I can never be a fan of Chris Paul. Not because he didn't choose to come here, or the Bobcats didn't turn the picks that became Raymond Felton and Sean May into him, but because he junked Julius Hodge in the ACC Tournament back in the day. It was much more blatant, and couldn't be considered an accident, but I remember it and it's not even like I'm an NC State fan. To me, hitting a guy in his "manhood" is a big deal. Am I out of line in that thought?

As Blogcat put it, the Bobcats have insult added to injury or some variation on the saying almost every night in this league. This one is pretty much the worst case. Charging, intentionally fouling, possibly because there was a foul to give and the Bobcats didn't want to give the Heat an inch in that run, and DWade gets the call and kicks Sessions (Bobcats 2nd leading scorer) in the nuts and that ends the run, takes all sense out of the team and the crowd and completely shifts the game in the Heat's favor. It's like Daniel getting beat up by the Cobra Kai; dude already has no friends, sure he's stealing Johnny's girl but why beat him within an inch of his life? PS: I saw Spolestra on the bench looking like Bobby calling for a body bag towards the end of the game. I'm pretty sure his laugh sounds the same.

As I googled for that Ric Flair link, it's been announced within the last hour that Dwyane Wade has been suspended for a game without pay. So yes, my point above was valid and good for the league for not rolling over on this matter.

So, the league has made it right, but does it mean more than just a groin kick? I believe so, and the commissioner's office is making amends for it. I simply wish referees weren't jock sniffers and weren't intimidated by the stars, so that Wade could have been thrown out. There might have been a different outcome to the game.

It's a little thing that's the perfect analogy for the Bobcats this year. It's a lot of small market team's cry, that the "big boys" get the calls and the little guys get passed over. It's true, it's sad and hopefully, the right way, the OKC way, the Bobcats can rise above it one day down the road. I just hope Wade can apologize to Sessions at some point.